Disclaimer: Stargate is great, Stargate is awesome and Vala and Daniel rock... but i don't own it!

Author's Note: This is my first Stargate fic, so if it is a little suckie, don't sue! Just enjoy and I really love reviews!

I Had To Tell You In Person...

Chapter One: A Condition of Connection

"Are you kidding me!'

"No." General Landry replied calmly.

"…Oh." Daniel immediately quieted down; shoving his hands in his pockets he stared at the ground, "Okay."

"Well," Landry stood up to dismiss Daniel from his office, "that went easier-"

"Just one thing," Daniel pushed up his glasses, "I really don't see why. I mean I understand what might had given you the idea that I might need… um… assistance, but Sir, this far?"

Then before General Landry could say a word he sped on, faster than before, if possible. "A shrink? I may have been a little bit more testy this past week, but it is only due to those artifacts from P4X-825, I really need to finish analyzing and cataloging. You know how Campbell is about her schedule…"

"Doctor Jackson." Landry attempted to interrupt.

"…But a little bit of stress really does not call for these extreme measures due to a few bad days."

"Doctor Jackson!" Landry thundered.

Daniel stopped talking immediately and glanced up at the irate General before moving his eyes to the floor and fidgeting. Yet again he had managed to get General Landry really really pissed-off, though perhaps not as pissed-off as last time. Daniel grimaced at the memory.

General Landry did not waste much time reprimanding Daniel. "Doctor Jackson," The General repeated sharply, "Just because you are not military does not give you the right to get away with anything. Your behaviour recently has been, well appalling," The General eyed Daniel as he opened his mouth to protest. "And I am referring to the incident on your last off world mission. You do recall how you put SG-11 in jeopardy because of an artifact, that if I recall right, was a fake!" The General's face looked positively like a tomato.

"Now, the matter of your seeing a shrink is not up for debate. Nor," he continued does it have to do with your work related stress about the artifacts from P4X-825." The General seemed ready to wrap up the conversation when Daniel asked one last question.

"But why?" Obviously Landry just wasn't getting through to him. "I mean, I thought we agreed that I wasn't at fault for that… misunderstanding…"

"Dear Lord!" The General sighed in exasperation, "Doctor Jackson the matter is settled, now if you want to continue working on this base you need to work out a few issues, which originated a few months ago."

Daniel opened his mouth once more, and then closed it when he saw the look of controlled rage behind the General's eyes.

"Dismissed." General Landry concluded as Daniel all but tore the door off exiting the office.

O o O o O

'Daniel.' Daniel lay half asleep on his bed in his room on the base. He heard his name being whispered, but dismissed it. He had started hearing it lately. More than hearing it, almost feeling it.

'Daniel.' It came like a breeze blowing through his brain, but recently had been getting stronger. 'Daniel, hear me.'

Daniel sat up, fully awake now. He rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. It sounded like… but it couldn't be. And every time he tried to sleep he heard her voice. 'My Daniel, please…'

Vala. It was her voice, always her voice. Daniel put his head in his hands; tonight was the worst it had been. He could hear the lilt to her words caused by her beautiful Australian accent he secretly adored, but what was more, he could hear something in her voice he had only heard once before.

Fear and pain, right before the Ori had burned her alive for not worshipping them. She had pleaded with him to 'Stop them!' and to 'Do something!' He couldn't do anything then so why did she keep making him think he could do something now?

'Daniel! It really is me. I am alive.'

"No." Daniel protested.

'Yes.'

"You're not real, you're probably… dead." Daniel choked on the last word.

'But I am NOT!'

"Vala, let's just say you're really talking to me," He added skeptically, "in my own head." He added. Daniel stood up and started to pace. "Maybe I should go see Doctor Lam."

'No! Daniel.' Her voice was urgent, 'Listen to me-'

"Vala-"

'No!' For someone inside his head, she sure sounded real… and bossy. 'You will listen to me, you irritating, maddening, beautiful man.' Her voice was angry, but held a hint of desire. Daniel could clearly imagine Vala running a finger across his chest. He shivered.

'Now, I am communicating with you through a device built by the Ancients.'

"The Ancients?"

'That's what I said, have you gone deaf while I've been gone?' She sighed, likely at Daniel's stupidity. 'Anyways, what I have been trying to tell you these past few weeks, it wouldn't have taken so long if you weren't so stubborn headed, is that I am alive and… I need you're help to get home.'

"Why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Daniel asked bewildered, it was so like Vala to beat around the bush.

'I did, you moron!'

"Right."

'I know, I am always right.'

"Vala." Daniel knew now that this was real. Nobody else could make that a compliment. "Why didn't you tell me you were communicating with me by aid of a device instead of pretending to haunt my dreams?"

'I haunt your dreams?' Vala sounded downright delighted.

"Yes, I mean no. Vala!" Exasperated Daniel walked into the bathroom; he really had been neglecting shaving since she'd been gone.

'Daniel?'

"Yeah, I'm here. Listen, where are you?"

'Uh…it's sort of a long story…'

"Vala?" Daniel was now wary. Whenever Vala evaded a question it meant, either she was lying or about to lie. "Don't lie to me."

'Well…'

"Vala!" He warned her.

'On the outer edge of the Ori home galaxy.'

"And…" For that couldn't possibly be all.

'Well, there are a few, uh… people here who aren't… uh… too pleased with me. So I am just lying low.'

"Awww, Vala, what did you steal this time?"

'I didn't steal anything…' Vala protested.

"When hell freezes over!" Daniel shot back hotly.

'…much.'

"I knew it." Daniel sounded more disappointed than triumphant.

'Well, don't take out the bubbly yet, that is not why…they are after me.' She sped on. 'In fact I am quit surprised that the all-knowing don't know where I am.' She laughed nervously. Daniel was stunned into silence. 'I really don't feel like being barbequed again, although I hear three is the lucky number.'

Still silent, Daniel was stuck of course the Ori were after her; a simple Goa'uld would be too much to ask for.

'Daniel?'

Daniel was lost in thought.

'Daniel? Daniel!' Vala panicked, 'Daniel!'

"Vala, don't worry, I'm still here."

'Don't do that you idiot!' Vala sounded like she was hitting something.

"What?" Daniel asked innocently.

'Don't leave without saying good-bye.' Vala sounded tired.

Daniel though a moment, she was different from four months ago, "I'm sorry, I won't." He tried to reassure her.

'Promise?' She asked. She definitely sounded different, and it made him wonder what she had been through.

"I promise." He swore solemnly.

O o O o O

"Right, but this wasn't a dream or some elaborate hallucination, I was fully awake." Daniel urgently explained. All of SG-1 was in the briefing room with General Landry as Daniel explained his strange encounter with Vala.

"Are you sure about this?" Sam countered, "This could be Goa'uld technology used to take advantage of us…"

"Why would the Goa'uld use this trickery now, what would they have to gain?" Teal'c asked.

"…Or you may have been unconscious with the ability to still consciously preserve the world around you." Sam concluded. Everyone just stared at her.

"What?" Cameron finally asked, "Like sleep walking."

"Exactly, I'm no therapist, but the stress of recent events have caused him to transfer his dreams-"

"Literally." Cameron added.

Ignoring Cameron she continued, "…Or hopes into something that seems tangible."

Daniel shook his head and marveled at the lack of faith his friends were having in him. He truly must have been acting strange lately. " It seemed that way to me too, until she gave me a gate address." Daniel started handing out a folder to everyone at the table.

"Daniel Jackson, Do you believe this address to be legitimate?" Teal'c asked.

"I second that question. Do you believe that this 'dream' you had is real? And if so, how much can we believe of the information she, Vala, has given us?" General Landry stood up, placing his hands on his hips.

Daniel flipped open to a page in the folder. "This is the mythical device Vala says she is using to communicate with me." Daniel stated and pointed to a picture of a white and purple crystal the size of thumb. "Apparently, only one person needs to have the device and they just think or search for the other person they want to contact. Originally this would be more difficult from such a large distance, but, since Vala and I were connected by the Goa'uld bracelets…"

Sam thought this was a very interesting theory, "You think the connection you two shared with the bracelets allowed her to be connected with you easier, than say Colonel Mitchell or myself…hmmm…" She was deep in thought.

Daniel continued, "I found this information on a tablet we found a few years ago on PX5-513, at first the place seemed to be an ancient Goa'uld look-out post, when indeed we found an archive of tablets dating back to before the Goa'uld were even around." Daniel stopped for breath, " Now, one of the tablets contained writing of a device that allowed one person to communicate with another person from a large distance away, or in this case, worlds, galaxies away." Daniel waved his arm around to indicate distance. "What is so unique about this device is that it only requires on person to have the device. Then they just think… dial… the person they want to communicate with. But, no one knew if these devices really existed since one was never recovered." he concluded.

"You are saying that you believe Vala Mal Doran to be alive and well and to be communicating with you by this ancient device." Teal'c stated. Obviously this was for clarification.

"Yes." Daniel answered, by the looks on everyone's faces, Daniel guessed they were still a little skeptical.

But he was wrong, "Then, what the hell are we waiting for." Cameron stood up and patted Daniel on the shoulder. "Danny here needs to get back to his girl." He grinned like a chestier cat.

Daniel grimaced, "She's not my-"

Surprisingly it was Sam who interrupted him, "Whatever you say, Daniel." She smirked as well, and then got back to her regular professional self. "Sir," She said addressing the General. "Permission to check-out the Stargate address Vala has provided us with." She waited patiently.

General Landry frowned, which seemed to be his regular facial expression as of late, "You have my permission to do all it takes to get more information, but I need more proof." He pointed to Daniel. "Doctor Jackson report to the infirmary, Doctor Lam wants to run a few tests before she clears you to go off world."

"That's not-" Daniel tried to protest.

"It's not up for debate!" He turned to address the rest of the group. "Report back here at 1900 hundred hours. Dismissed." Landry slammed the door to his office on his way out. SG-1 was becoming like the nagging child.

Teal'c observed, "General Landry seems to be a little… upset." As he watched where the General had left.

"Well," Cameron got ready to leave, "that went better than I expected."

Daniel just groaned.

O o O o O

Daniel sat in front of a table cluttered with tablets, artifacts and a massive amount of loose papers.

Sam walked in, but Daniel did not see her.

"Daniel." She said softly.

"Wha-?" Daniel startled. He looked up and saw Sam. "Whew! Would you not do that?" He said with a little more irritability then he meant. He changed the subject. "You take a look at that gate address?"

"Yes. Although it is different than all the other addresses we've dialed which may be due to the fact that we are dialing another galaxy."

"What do you mean, how is it different?" Daniel started to get a sinking feeling in his stomach. He wouldn't be able to bare it if this didn't work.

Sam stalled for a few seconds, "It's like a different area code, the length of the gate address is the same but the symbols at the end are different."

Daniel just stared at her, this could not be happening, how could this be happening? "You're saying this might not even work?" Daniel despised how his voice raised an octave on the last word.

Sam's face went soft, "Let's not jump to any conclusions, first we have so see if we can even dial the address from here, the shift of the planets…" Sam shook her head helplessly, "And if it does work, the amount of energy it takes to maintain a wormhole to another galaxy is astronomical."

Daniel looked down at the tablet he had been deciphering; the worry was evident on his face. "So this could be all for nothing. She could be stuck there and I can't do a thing to get her back."

"Hey," Sam put a hand on his arm, "we'll find a way."

Suddenly the intercom went on. "Colonel Carter to the gateroom, repeat, Colonel Carter to the gateroom."

Sam looked up, "Guess I better not keep Walter waiting. We'll send a MALP through and see what's going on. You coming?"

"Yeah, you go ahead, I'll be there in a bit." Daniel replied distractedly.

Sam sent him a reassuring smile, then left.

Now that Sam wasn't in the room, Daniel could listen to the voice in his head that kept repeating his name.

'Knock, knock, anybody home?'

"Vala, what? You can just pop in anytime you please now?" Daniel replied irritated, but he wasn't really that upset.

'Ewww, you're not doing anything… gross, are you?'

Daniel rolled her eyes, "No, Vala, I am- was deciphering a tablet."

'Oooh, I didn't know dead civilizations turned you on.'

Daniel sighed; only Vala would come up with a comment like that.

'I'll have to remember that for… later.' He heard her laugh.

"Vala, did you contact me for any other reason than to annoy me?"

'To amuse myself of course.' She replied as if it were obvious. 'No really, can't a girl pop in every now and again to see how you are?' She coughed, 'How's my rescue coming?'

"Your rescue is going." Daniel sighed, "General Landry hasn't approved the mission yet, but he will, trust me."

'Trust well that's an interesting way to put it. That last time you said that-' She gasped and then started to cough some more, 'Ow, Daniel how long do you think it'll be?'

Daniel was concerned now. "What happened?" He asked.

'Nothing happened…parse, I just had a little run it with our bald little friend and his stick.' She sighed. 'I don't know how much longer I can stay under their radar.'

"I know, I'm working on it." Daniel took off his glasses, "can you be a little more specific about your location? Anything, a landmark, a tree, so when we get there, we can get you and get out."

'Well, there are lots of trees.' She could be so frustrating. 'There is a ridge not far from the stargate, on the other side of it are ruins.'

"Is that where you are?" Daniel waited for a response, "Vala?" All of a sudden he urgently needed to hear her voice. "Vala?" He gripped the table so hard his knuckles turned white. "Answer me!" Something was wrong and he didn't need their special connection to tell him that, he could just feel it.

'Daniel!' She gasped, 'I've got to go.' She muffled a surprised shout. 'Please, get your beautiful butt here soon,' Vala whispered, 'Someone's coming.'

"I will, just be careful." Daniel urged, silently he wished he could go in her place.

'Daniel, you don't understand, it's not just my life at stake.' He heard footsteps and something exploding. 'Talk to you soon, Daniel.' She made a kissing noise and the sounds went dead.

O o O o O

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